R&B Gospel Sisters Virtue Return With New Album 'Testimony'

The R&B gospel sisters VIRTUE return with a storming new album. Mike Rimmer met up with them in Nashville.

Virtue

Ebony Holland, Heather Martin and Karima Kibble are the women
of Virtue and they
are in buoyant mood! They literally bounce into my hotel room for a
chat. They are brimming with confidence and glad to be back in the
fray talking up their new album, 'Testimony'. The R&B gospel trio
have been away for so long that it almost feels like they are a new
group. Having recorded three albums in the period 1997-2001, they
released a hits package in 2004 and it's been silence since then. A
change of label to sign with DarkChild Gospel and the production
talents of Fred Jerkins III has kicked new life into the girls' music
and ministry.

The Trotter sisters have been singing together all their lives and
have their mother to thank. Ebony remembers, "When we were little she
just liked us to be involved in different things and have certain
activities to do within the church to keep us out of trouble. And
singing was one of our favourites so it was always easy to sing a
note." It may have been a maternal ploy to keep the girls in church
but it worked and it's paid off. The girls are full of stories of the
proud mother who is their number one fan!

They are clearly excited about the new album which features
appearances from T-Bone and Martha Munizzi. We start talking about the
opening cut "Follow Me" and all of a sudden the sisters snap into
close harmony acapella and burst into song, singing me the song's main
hook. They sound incredible! Heather comments, "Man, that song is
amazing! It's really something that we think will cross over and be
played everywhere. That's our goal." Ebony adds, "And we did our video
to it. That's the first single." Karima breaks in, "Yeah, we went to
Canada actually and shot a video in January and it's due to drop in
June with the single and the video. We're so excited. It was written
and produced by the new label we're on."

They're justifiably excited about the new label and the fresh energy
it's giving to their music. It's like the trio are a new group and
certainly they have been given a musical makeover and the release of
'Testimony' feels like a relaunch taking everything that's great about
the girls' music and then taking it to the next level. Ebony admits,
"This is a brand new start for Virtue. Brand new everything! We've got
brand new management, brand new team of people working with us and a
brand new record label by the name of DarkChild Gospel - the
world-renowned producers Rodney Jerkins and Fred Jerkins."

Heather adds, "They are an awesome
team of people to work with. If they believe in you, you are so set
up! You are so taken care of. We prayed about the whole situation. I
guess God led us to each other because it just kind of happened like,
out of the blue."

Prior to this turn of events the group had been dropped by their
previous record label, Verity, but Ebony says that at the time it was
a blessing. "We'd been praying about it for years and years. When you
have a team behind you that do not believe in you and don't put their
best foot forward for you, why have an album out? We had produced so
many wonderful albums and nothing has become of them. So when they
dropped us we praised God! We got on our knees and said, 'Hallelujah!
Thank you Jesus!' Because this is something that we had prayed for. We
asked God to release us from them. And if he still wanted us to be in
the ministry - in the singing - and to spread the Gospel, then he
would find us another label. And a week later, there we go, we were
with DarkChild Gospel!"

While other groups like Mary Mary and Trin-I-Tee 5:7 came along and
were established, Virtue felt like they were treated
differently and so couldn't establish themselves. Heather shares, "It
was disappointing to see because you know the potential you have. And
if that machine is not behind you pushing you 100 per cent, and you're
giving your all, you're like, 'What else is there to do?!' There's
room for everybody so seeing those other groups go forward gave us
hope."

Karima adds, "We knew it would be our turn. We were happy for them.
But at the same time, wanting to have a video!" The rest of the group
break out in agreement. Believe it or not until this point Virtue were never able
to record a video for any of their songs. So even the fact that this
very basic promotional tool is in place for their new album is a
source of encouragement to the sisters. Ebony observes, "So we think
that everything that we've been through has helped us to grow and to
become the people that we are now. When God sees fit for you to be
ready for something he'll groom you for it and prep you for it. So I
think right now, it's just time for us to go out and share our
testimony."

Heather shares, "That's what this new record is all really about. All
the songs are praisin'. It's so awesome I get excited!" On the day
that we met, the girls were still discussing what they were going to
call the album. Even as we're talking it seems that things are falling
into place. Ebony states, "I think we're going to name it
'Testimony'. Heather chips in, "We've been talking about that all day
because we really do have a story to tell. I think for a lot of people
who will finally get to see us - because video is huge right now - I
think that alone will make a difference. People will probably wonder,
'Where did they come from?!' But we have a testimony. We just didn't
pop out of anywhere."

The title song is a sumptuous piece of melodic R&B with an
infectious groove and interlocked vocals. Ebony explains, "It's a
great song!" She enthuses, "It's talking about where I've been and
just giving hope to everybody and telling you, if I've been here and
if I've gone through this, then you can get through it too. Because I
think we overcome by the power of our testimony. If people don't know
what you've been through then they can't relate with you. So that song
is all about saying, hey, when I look back over my life this is where
I've been. And if you're there, listen to my testimony because this
can encourage you."

Having gone through line up changes
and all the recent changes in management and label, I wondered whether
the vision for the group had changed since they started in 1997. Ebony
shares, "I think we always want to grow. Our prayer is to grow
spiritually every day and to really grow closer to God. I guess in the
beginning, as you mature spiritually, your vision begins to change.
When you get hands-on with people and you see people come to you after
shows and tell you, 'Oh, it changed my life in this way just listening
to the lyrics!', your heart changes and you feel like you know what's
going on and you know what people need. So I think with every record,
with more experience being on the road and coming in contact with
people and just watching life, we've grown in order to meet people's
needs. So I think definitely there's a lot of young people that we
still want to reach. We still have some of the same goals and ideas
that we had when we started Virtue."

Karima adds, "We just love young people. We love everybody but we have
a passion for young people because a lot of them think that being
saved is uncool. Loving Jesus is cool. Serving God is cool. You don't
have to be stuck up or stuffy. You just have fun like we do! We just
live life to the fullest." Ebony chips in, "We have our testimonies,
our prayers and the songs and that's basically what we want to give to
people."

They are getting really excited about it all now! Heather enthuses,
"Yeah, when they see us being ourselves, when you're yourself, I think
that shines through. People can relate to that because a lot of people
think that they're the only ones going through problems and stuff and
they see us on a different level. They think we're not human but we
are. We go through things just like they do and that's what we want to
let them know. We're human. You go through things. Hey! Don't worry
about it, you get over it!"

There's an element of teaching in the ministry of Virtue. They are truly
trying to help people grab hold of life changing truths and using
R&B music to do it. Perhaps that shouldn't be so surprising since
two of the group actually come from a teaching background. Ebony
shares, "Sometimes when we have downtime we will teach. I just
recently taught at a community college. Being right there, hands-on
with people, I mean that opened my eyes up too. It just let me see
that the stuff we watch on the news and TV, that is real! When people
come to you and say, 'Look I got this problem and that problem',
sometimes we get so far removed from that because we're in our own
little worlds and we don't pay attention to it. But it just let me
see, man, we've got work to do! So many people need Jesus. So many
people need to hear something that gives them hope or encourages them
to keep living. So yeah, it's a lot about teaching!"

I finish off by asking them about my favourite song on the album
"1,2,3 Praise!" which features a cameo appearance from T-Bone. There
is silence and then laughter. "You know what?" says Ebony, "I can't
remember all the words to that one!" Heather observes, "That was the
very last song we did on Monday before we left." Aha, so fresh they
haven't learnt the words yet! Karima says, "The song is hot to death!
I don't know if you guys say 'hot to death' in the UK? But it's hot to
death!" I confess it's not an expression that trips off my tongue on a
regular basis. Karima urges, "Start sayin' it, start sayin' it!"

OK, I will. It's good to have Virtue back again and their new album
'Testimony' is hot to death. Yep, that sounds right!

Reader Comments

You sisters has been an inspiration to me from since 1997
when I bought your first album. I sing with a group call
special blend (7 ladies). I pray that God continue to bless
your ministry as you win souls to the heavenly kingdom. Love
you guys!

This email is for Gospel Singing Group Virtue who are
related sisters.
Dear Virtue, Will you ever get your web page back. Please
get a web page that shares the interest links for Christian
families, children, and women, the Sabbath Keepers or not.
Could you please get a Christian web page of all the
articles on you so your fans can keep up with you. By the
why any news on Special Blend Take 6 old sing group from
Oakwood is going to get back together with Take 6 or you to
do another recording? We really enjoyed them at their Alumni
Reunion the had not sang together in over 10 years or more.
Let your fans know what happens if they decide to do another
musical together that was a great blessing. Hubbard-Stanford
family from New Orleans,Maranatha!

Dear Virtue, Just remember only what You do for Christ will
last, so do not ever let anything You make others wonder if
Your a Christian or even a Adventist Christian. Remember
God's aim is the Adventist Massage ( the teachings of Jesus
Christ) in to all the world in this our generation, and
God's moto the love of Christ contrain us, amen! Beverly
Stanford

I have every one of your cd's and I am here to tell you that
God has not let you down but has lifted you up. Your music
inspires and guides people from the inside out. Don't every
stop loving the Lord because he has always loved us first.
You go girls!!!